JP5278213B2 - Liquid supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid supply device which has a pop-out preventing member that is not an obstacle to attachment, releases locking of a liquid cartridge by operating the pop-out preventing member from the outside, and also regulates pop-out of the liquid cartridge from a cartridge attaching part. <P>SOLUTION: When the operation part 94a of the pop-out preventing member 94 of a lock mechanism 90 is pressed downward, the pop-out preventing member 94 moves to a regulation-feasible position first, while a lock lever 91 is still at a locking position. When the operation part 94a is pressed downward further, the lock lever 91 moves interlocked with the pop-out preventing member 94. Then, the lock lever 91 in contact with a side surface 39a of a projection 39 of an ink cartridge 5 moves to an upper releasing position, whereby locking of the liquid cartridge by the lock lever 91 is released, and the ink cartridge 5 moves in an attaching/detaching direction. The moving ink cartridge 5 comes into contact with the pop-out preventing member 94, and stops its movement. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid supply apparatus that supplies a liquid.

  Conventionally, in various technical fields, a liquid cartridge in which liquid is stored is mounted on a cartridge mounting portion along the mounting direction, and liquid is applied to various objects from the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion. Liquid supply devices for supplying are widely known. The cartridge mounting portion or the liquid cartridge of such a liquid supply apparatus is provided with a biasing member that biases the liquid cartridge in a detaching direction opposite to the mounting direction for various reasons.

  For example, the liquid cartridge includes a lead-out portion having a lead-out passage that leads the liquid inside to the outside. However, if the lead-out passage is always in communication with the outside, the liquid flows out. Therefore, in general, in the outlet portion, the valve body capable of closing the outlet passage and the valve body are urged in the closing direction so that the liquid can be led out only when it is arranged at the mounting position of the cartridge mounting portion. There is provided a valve mechanism having a spring. When the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion along the mounting direction, the valve body moves in the opening direction against the biasing force of the spring of the valve mechanism, and the liquid flow path of the cartridge mounting portion and the liquid cartridge The liquid can be supplied by communicating with the outlet passage. When such a liquid cartridge is disposed at the mounting position of the cartridge mounting portion, the spring is in a contracted state, so that the liquid cartridge is urged in the detaching direction opposite to the mounting direction by the restoring force of the spring. Therefore, the cartridge mounting portion is provided with a lock mechanism that holds the mounted liquid cartridge in the mounting position against the biasing force.

  By the way, when the lock of the liquid cartridge by the lock mechanism is released in a state where the liquid cartridge arranged at the mounting position of the cartridge mounting portion is biased in the detaching direction by the biasing member, the liquid cartridge generates kinetic energy generated by the biasing force. Will pop out of the cartridge mounting portion. When the liquid cartridge that protrudes in this way falls, the liquid inside the liquid cartridge may be scattered.

  As another example, an urging member that positively urges the liquid cartridge in the attaching / detaching direction is arranged in the cartridge mounting portion so that the user can easily remove the liquid cartridge from the cartridge mounting portion. . When a plurality of liquid cartridges are arranged adjacent to each other in the cartridge mounting portion, even if the user tries to remove only one liquid cartridge from the cartridge mounting portion, the adjacent cartridge is obstructed and is difficult to remove. However, by urging the liquid cartridge in the detaching direction by the urging member, only the liquid cartridge that the user wants to remove can be moved in the detaching direction, so that the user can easily detach the liquid cartridge from the cartridge mounting portion. Can do. However, if the liquid cartridge moves and completely pops out of the cartridge mounting portion, the liquid cartridge that has popped out may fall over and the liquid inside the liquid cartridge may scatter.

  Therefore, in the ink jet recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a flexible member having hook claws is formed on the bottom plate of the cartridge mounting portion. The flexible member is movable in the direction toward the ink cartridge and in the opposite warp direction. Further, the hook claw has a contact surface inclined in a direction including a component for attaching / detaching. When the ink cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the bottom surface of the ink cartridge comes into contact with the hook claw, and the flexible member bends in the warping direction. When the ink cartridge is locked at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion, the flexible member returns from the position moved in the warping direction to the original position, and the hook claw is immersed in the recess formed on the bottom surface of the ink cartridge. doing. When the lock of the ink cartridge is released, the inclined surface of the hook claw comes into contact with the edge of the recess of the ink cartridge that moves in the attaching / detaching direction, and restricts the ink cartridge that is about to pop out.

  In addition, in the ink supply device described in Patent Document 2, a lock arm that contacts the ink cartridge disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion and locks the ink cartridge is disposed in the cartridge mounting portion. When the user depresses the operation lever of the lock arm, the lock arm rotates in the direction to release the lock of the ink cartridge, and the stopper of the lock arm comes into contact with the ink cartridge that is moved by the urging force of the urging member. Move to a position where movement can be restricted. More specifically, when the ink cartridge is placed at the mounting position, the lock arm has its leading end (locking portion) in the mounting direction abutted against a stopper of the ink cartridge and locks the cartridge. Then, when the operation lever of the lock arm is pushed down, the lock arm rotates in a direction to release the lock of the cartridge, and when the lock of the cartridge is released, the rear end (stopper) on the opposite side of the lock arm is attached / detached The ink cartridge is brought into contact with the stopper of the ink cartridge that moves to restrict the movement of the ink cartridge.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-288866 (FIG. 27) US2009 / 0135237A1

  However, in the ink jet recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the inclined surface of the hook claw is inclined in a direction including the attaching / detaching direction component, if the kinetic energy of the ink cartridge trying to jump out from the cartridge mounting portion is large After the hook claw contacts the edge of the recess of the ink cartridge, the flexible claw may bend in the warping direction while the hook claw slides on the edge of the recess, and the movement of the ink cartridge may not stop. is there. Therefore, it is difficult to completely restrict the liquid cartridge from popping out.

  Further, in the ink supply device described in Patent Document 2, if the user does not sufficiently push down the operation lever of the lock arm, the extending direction of the lock arm is the attachment / detachment direction as shown in FIG. Can be parallel to the direction. At this time, the contact between the front end portion (lock portion) of the lock arm and the stopper of the ink cartridge is released, and the locked state of the ink cartridge is released, but the rear end portion (stopper) of the lock arm is in contact with the ink cartridge stopper. Since the ink cartridge has not moved to the contact position, the ink cartridge pops out from the cartridge mounting portion. Therefore, when the extending direction of the lock arm is parallel to the attaching / detaching direction, the rear end portion (stopper) of the lock arm is arranged so that the rear end portion (stopper) of the lock arm can come into contact with the stopper of the ink cartridge. ) May be projected toward the ink cartridge, but conversely, when the ink cartridge is mounted, the projected portion hinders the mounting.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is not to obstruct the mounting of the liquid cartridge, and when the liquid cartridge is unlocked by one operation in which the pop-out prevention member is operated from the outside, the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid supply device that reliably prevents the liquid from jumping out of the device.

The liquid supply apparatus according to the present invention includes a liquid cartridge that stores liquid, a cartridge mounting portion in which the liquid cartridge is mounted along a predetermined mounting direction, and the liquid cartridge or the cartridge mounting portion. In the cartridge mounting portion, when the liquid cartridge is disposed at a mounting position where the liquid in the liquid cartridge can be supplied to the cartridge mounting portion, the liquid cartridge is biased in a detaching direction opposite to the mounting direction. A force member and the liquid cartridge disposed in the mounting position are contacted, and the liquid cartridge remains in the mounting position against the force that the first biasing member biases the liquid cartridge. A locking position for locking and a releasing position for locking the liquid cartridge arranged at the mounting position A locking member that is movable between and a position that can be moved between a restrictable position and a retracted position with respect to the locking member by being operated from the outside, and at least when the locking member is in the release position Further, when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction, the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position overlaps with the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position at the restrictable position, and does not overlap with the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position at the retracted position. A pop-out preventing member, and when the pop-out preventing member is not operated from the outside, the pop-out preventing member is in the retracted position, and the lock member is in the locking position, and the pop-out preventing member is provided. When the member is operated from the outside, the pop-out prevention member moves from the retracted position to the restrictable position. Move with preventing member the locking member jumps out above, the engaging moved from stop position to said release position, the pop-out preventing member and the locking member is a separate member, the pop-out preventing member from the restricting possible position that further include a third biasing member for biasing said retracted position.

According to the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, when the pop-out prevention member is operated from the outside, the lock member moves together with the pop-out prevention member and is released from the locking position after the pop-out prevention member moves from the retracted position to the restrictable position. Move to position. Then, the liquid cartridge arranged at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion is urged by the first urging member and moves in the detaching direction. At this time, since the pop-out preventing member is in a controllable position overlapping the liquid cartridge as viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction, the moving liquid cartridge comes into contact with the pop-out preventing member and stops moving. In this manner, the locking of the liquid cartridge can be released and the popping out of the cartridge mounting portion can be reliably prevented by one operation in which the popping prevention member is operated from the outside. Further, the pop-out preventing member is retracted to the retracted position when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and therefore does not hinder mounting. Further, the distance between the retracted position and the restrictable position can be increased as compared with the case where the pop-out preventing member and the lock member are integrally formed. Therefore, when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the pop-out prevention member is securely retracted, and when the liquid cartridge is detached from the cartridge mounting portion, the pop-out prevention member is more reliably positioned at the restrictable position. Can be made.

  Further, it is preferable that the pop-out preventing member overlaps the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position in the restrictable position as viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction regardless of the position of the lock member. According to this, the pop-out preventing member overlaps with the liquid cartridge arranged at the mounting position when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction at the restrictable position regardless of the position of the lock member. In other words, even when the lock member is in the locking position, the pop-out prevention member overlaps the liquid cartridge disposed in the mounting position when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction as long as it can be regulated. Therefore, the pop-out from the cartridge mounting portion can be more reliably regulated.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to further include a second biasing member that biases the lock member from the release position toward the locking position. According to this, since the lock member is urged by the second urging member and is held in the locking position, the liquid cartridge can be more reliably locked to the cartridge mounting portion.

Also, before Symbol locking member said release position and a second biasing member for biasing the locking position, the biasing force of the second biasing member of said third biasing member It may be larger than the biasing force. According to this, since the lock member is urged by the second urging member and is held in the locking position, the liquid cartridge can be more reliably locked to the cartridge mounting portion. Further , by making the urging force of the second urging member larger than the urging force of the third urging member, the lock member moves from the locking position to the release position when the pop-out prevention member is operated from the outside. The pop-out preventing member can be moved from the retracted position to the restrictable position before.

Further, the liquid supply device of the present invention is disposed in the liquid cartridge that stores the liquid, the cartridge mounting unit in which the liquid cartridge is mounted along a predetermined mounting direction, the liquid cartridge or the cartridge mounting unit, When the liquid cartridge is disposed in a mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion where the liquid in the liquid cartridge can be supplied to the cartridge mounting portion, the liquid cartridge is biased in a detaching direction opposite to the mounting direction. One urging member contacts the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position, and the liquid cartridge remains in the mounting position against the force with which the first urging member urges the liquid cartridge. The locking position for locking the liquid cartridge and the liquid cartridge arranged at the mounting position are not locked. A lock member movable between the position and a position that can be moved between a restrictable position and a retracted position with respect to the lock member by being operated from the outside, and at least the lock member is at the release position. A pop-out preventing member that is capable of restricting movement of the liquid cartridge in the attaching / detaching direction at the restrictable position and does not restrict movement of the liquid cartridge in the attaching direction at the retracted position, And when the pop-out preventing member is not operated from the outside, the pop-out preventing member is in the retracted position, the lock member is in the locking position, and the pop-out preventing member is operated from the outside. Then, after the pop-out prevention member moves from the retracted position to the restrictable position, the lock member Move with stop member is moved to the release position from the locking position, the locking member and the pop-out preventing member is a separate member, toward the pop-out preventing member to the retracted position from the restriction enabled position that further include a third biasing member that biases.

According to the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, when the pop-out prevention member is operated from the outside, the lock member moves together with the pop-out prevention member and is released from the locking position after the pop-out prevention member moves from the retracted position to the restrictable position. Move to position. Then, the liquid cartridge arranged at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion is urged by the first urging member and moves in the detaching direction. At this time, the moving liquid cartridge contacts the pop-out preventing member and stops moving. In this manner, the locking of the liquid cartridge can be released and the popping out of the cartridge mounting portion can be reliably prevented by one operation in which the popping prevention member is operated from the outside. Further, the pop-out preventing member is retracted to the retracted position when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and therefore does not hinder mounting. Further, the distance between the retracted position and the restrictable position can be increased as compared with the case where the pop-out preventing member and the lock member are integrally formed. Therefore, when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the pop-out prevention member is securely retracted, and when the liquid cartridge is detached from the cartridge mounting portion, the pop-out prevention member is more reliably positioned at the restrictable position. Can be made.

  Further, it is preferable that the pop-out preventing member can regulate the movement of the liquid cartridge in the attaching / detaching direction at the restrictable position regardless of the position of the lock member. According to this, the pop-out prevention member can regulate the movement of the liquid cartridge in the detaching direction even when the lock member is in the locking position. Therefore, the pop-out from the cartridge mounting portion can be more reliably regulated.

  When the liquid cartridge is urged by the first urging member and moves in the attaching / detaching direction, the moving liquid cartridge pops out because the pop-out preventing member is in a controllable position overlapping the liquid cartridge when viewed from the attaching direction or the attaching / detaching direction. Contact with the prevention member stops the movement. In this way, the liquid cartridge can be unlocked and the pop-out from the cartridge mounting portion can be reliably prevented by one operation in which the pop-out preventing member is operated from the outside. Further, the pop-out preventing member is retracted to the retracted position when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and therefore does not hinder mounting.

1 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply device along a plane parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge along a plane that is parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge mounting portion of the holder along a plane parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the lock mechanism of the cartridge mounting portion shown in FIG. 4, (a) is the lock lever in the locked position and the pop-out prevention member is in the retracted position, and (b) is the lock lever locked (C) is a position where the lock lever is released and the pop-out preventing member is a restrictable position. It is explanatory drawing at the time of an ink cartridge being mounted in a cartridge mounting part, (a) is parallel to the mounting direction in the state in the middle of mounting an ink cartridge, and along the surface perpendicular | vertical to a horizontal surface FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply device, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply device along a plane that is parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane when the ink cartridge is disposed at the mounting position. It is explanatory drawing at the time of an ink cartridge being removed from a cartridge mounting part, (a) is parallel to the mounting direction in the state in the middle of the operation part being pressed, and was along a surface perpendicular | vertical to a horizontal surface. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply device, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply device along a plane that is parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane after a certain time has elapsed after unlocking. (A) is a perspective view of a locking mechanism. (B) is the perspective view which took out the torsion coil spring from the lock mechanism. (C) is a perspective view of the lock mechanism in a modification. It is explanatory drawing at the time of an ink cartridge being detached from the cartridge mounting part in a modification, (a) is parallel to the mounting direction and in a state perpendicular to the horizontal plane in a state before the operation part is pressed. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply device along a plane that is parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane in a state after a certain period of time has elapsed after unlocking. is there. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an ink supply device along a plane that is parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to a horizontal plane in another modified example. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply device along a plane that is parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane before the operation unit is pressed, and (b) is a lapse of time after unlocking. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply device along a plane that is parallel to the mounting direction and perpendicular to the horizontal plane in a state after being performed.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a printer that ejects ink supplied from an ink supply device onto a recording sheet from an inkjet head and records (prints) desired characters or images on the recording sheet. is there.

  First, a schematic configuration of the printer will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 1 includes a carriage 2 configured to be reciprocally movable along a scanning direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1), an inkjet head 3 and sub tanks 4a to 4d mounted on the carriage 2. Ink supply device 21 (liquid supply device) having cartridge mounting portion 7 to which ink cartridge 5 (liquid cartridge) for storing ink is detachably mounted, and transports recording paper P in a paper feed direction orthogonal to the scanning direction. A transport mechanism 6 is provided.

  The carriage 2 is configured to be reciprocally movable along two guide shafts 17 extending in parallel with the scanning direction. An endless belt 18 is connected to the carriage 2. When the endless belt 18 is driven to travel by the carriage drive motor 19, the carriage 2 moves in the scanning direction as the endless belt 18 travels. It has become.

  An ink jet head 3 and four sub tanks 4 a to 4 d are mounted on the carriage 2. The ink jet head 3 includes a large number of nozzles for ejecting liquid on the lower surface (the surface on the opposite side of the paper in FIG. 1). The four sub tanks 4a to 4d are arranged side by side along the scanning direction, and the tube joint 20 is integrally provided in the four sub tanks 4a to 4d. The four sub tanks 4a to 4d and the four ink cartridges 5 are connected to each other by the flexible tube 11 connected to the tube joint 20.

  The four ink cartridges 5 store, for example, four color inks of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta, respectively. These ink cartridges 5 are provided in four holders 10 of the ink supply device 21. By being inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 7, the holder 10 is detachably mounted.

  The four color inks respectively stored in the four ink cartridges 5 are supplied to the four sub tanks 4a to 4d through the four tubes 11 and temporarily stored in the sub tanks 4a to 4d. It is supplied to the head 3. The ink jet head 3 reciprocates in the scanning direction together with the carriage 2 and ejects ink onto the recording paper P conveyed in the paper feeding direction by the conveying mechanism 6 from a number of nozzles provided on the lower surface thereof.

  The transport mechanism 6 includes a paper feed roller 25 disposed upstream of the inkjet head 3 in the paper feed direction, and a paper discharge roller 26 disposed downstream of the inkjet head 3 in the paper feed direction. The paper feed roller 25 and the paper discharge roller 26 are rotationally driven by a paper feed motor 27 and a paper discharge motor 28, respectively. The transport mechanism 6 supplies the recording paper P to the inkjet head 3 from above in FIG. 1 by the paper feed roller 25, and records the images and characters recorded by the inkjet head 3 by the paper discharge roller 26. The paper P is configured to be discharged downward in FIG.

  Next, the ink supply device 21 having the ink cartridge 5 and the holder 10 to which the ink cartridge 5 is mounted will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The ink cartridge 5 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 7 of the holder 10 along the mounting direction. The direction opposite to the mounting direction is the detaching direction, and in the present embodiment, the ink cartridge 5 is parallel to the mounting direction and the detaching direction. A horizontal plane is defined as a direction parallel to the horizontal direction and the mounting and demounting directions.

  First, the ink cartridge 5 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink cartridge 5 includes a cartridge main body 30 that stores ink, a sensor arm 40 for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge main body 30, and the like.

  The cartridge body 30 is formed in a hollow, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by a light transmissive material such as a synthetic resin material. The ink cartridge 5 has a protrusion 38 extending in the mounting direction from the upper end portion of the front end surface of the cartridge body 30 in the mounting direction in a state where the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7. The protrusion 38 is made of a synthetic resin material that does not transmit light. In a state where the ink cartridge 5 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 7 and disposed at the mounting position, the protrusion 38 is positioned between the light emitting portion 65a and the light receiving portion 65b of the optical sensor 65 described later. The protrusion 38 at this position blocks light emitted from the light emitting portion 65a of the optical sensor 65 to the light receiving portion 65b. The mounting position is a position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 where the ink cartridge 5 can supply ink in an ink storage chamber 31 (described later) to an ink outlet path 82 (described later) of the cartridge mounting portion 7.

  The ink cartridge 5 has a protrusion 39 that protrudes upward from the center in the horizontal direction of the upper surface 30 a of the cartridge main body 30 in a state where the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7. The angle formed between the side surface 39a of the protrusion 39 on the detachable side and the upper surface 30a of the cartridge body 30 is substantially a right angle. The protrusion 39 may be formed integrally with the cartridge body 30 by injection molding or the like, or may be formed separately and joined to the cartridge body 30 with an adhesive or the like. Further, the protrusion 38 may be formed integrally with the cartridge main body 30, but in this case, since the protrusion 38 is formed of a light transmitting material, the surface of the protrusion 38 is covered with a film that does not transmit light. It is necessary to coat.

  The cartridge main body 30 includes an ink storage chamber 31 that stores ink therein, and a lower portion of the front end portion of the ink storage chamber 31 in the mounting direction in a state where the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7. The ink lead-out portion 32 that leads the ink in the ink storage chamber 31 in the mounting direction and the upper portion of the front end portion of the ink storage chamber 31 are provided from the front in the mounting direction. And an air introduction part 33 to be introduced.

  In addition, the cartridge main body 30 is located between the ink outlet 32 and the air introduction unit 33 at the front end of the ink storage chamber 31 in the mounting direction in a state where the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting unit 7. The detected portion 34 is located and protrudes from the front end portion of the ink storage chamber in the mounting direction. A light shielding plate 40c, which will be described later, of the sensor arm 40 disposed in the ink storage chamber 31 can move up and down in the detected portion 34. Further, in a state where the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position of the cartridge mounting portion 7, the lower end of the detected portion 34 is positioned between a light emitting portion 66a and a light receiving portion 66b of an optical sensor 66 described later.

  The sensor arm 40 is rotatably supported by the cartridge main body 30 in the ink storage chamber 31, and a float 40b that is provided at one end of the arm portion 40a and moves up and down according to ink level fluctuations. And a light shielding plate 40c provided at the other end of the arm portion 40a. The light shielding plate 40c is accommodated in the detected portion 34, and the optical sensor 66 provided in the cartridge mounting portion 7 in a state where the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 of the holder 10. It is possible to block light emitted from the light emitting unit 66a to the light receiving unit 66b.

  When the float 40b moves up and down in accordance with the ink level fluctuation in the ink storage chamber 31, the sensor arm 40 has a light shielding plate 40c connected to the float 40b via the arm portion 40a. It is configured to move (swing) up and down with respect to the cartridge main body 30 within the portion 34. More specifically, when there is sufficient ink in the ink storage chamber 31, a large buoyancy acts on the float 40b, and a moment in the counterclockwise direction of FIG. 3 acts on the arm portion 40a. As shown by a solid line, the light shielding plate 40 c contacts the bottom surface of the detected portion 34. On the other hand, when the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage chamber 31 is reduced and the float 40b is partially exposed from the liquid surface, the buoyancy acting on the float 40b is reduced, and as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Is rotated in the clockwise direction of FIG. 3, and the light shielding plate 40 c comes into contact with the ceiling surface of the detected portion 34.

  That is, the light shielding plate 40c moves relative to the cartridge body 30 via the arm portion 40a in accordance with the movement of the float 40b when the ink level fluctuation occurs. Further, the bottom surface and the ceiling surface of the detected part 34 regulate the vertical movement of the light shielding plate 40c.

  The ink lead-out section 32 and the air introduction section 33 are near the upper and lower ends sandwiching the detected section 34 on the front end surface of the cartridge body 30 in the mounting direction in a state where the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting section 7. It extends in the mounting direction. Then, the air in the ink storage chamber 31 is introduced into the ink storage chamber 31 through the air introduction hole 36 in the air introduction portion 33 from the front in the mounting direction, and the ink in the ink storage chamber 31 is supplied through the ink extraction hole 37 in the ink extraction portion 32. It is comprised so that it may guide | lead to mounting direction.

  When the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 and the ink is supplied to the outside of the ink cartridge 5, the air introduction portion 33 is positioned near the upper end of the ink storage chamber 31, and the ink The lead-out part 32 is located near the lower end of the ink storage chamber 31. For this reason, air can be smoothly introduced into the upper space of the ink storage chamber 31 by the air introduction part 33, and the ink remaining in the lower space in the ink storage chamber 31 can be discharged to the end as much as possible.

  The ink lead-out part 32 has a valve mechanism housing chamber 52 that houses the valve mechanism 50. The valve mechanism accommodating chamber 52 can communicate with the outside of the ink cartridge 5 through an ink outlet hole 37 formed through a wall defining the front end of the valve mechanism accommodating chamber 52 in the mounting direction. The valve mechanism storage chamber 52 communicates with the ink storage chamber 31, and the valve body 53, the spring 54, and the seal member 55 constituting the valve mechanism 50 are stored therein. The seal member 55 is annular, and is disposed on the inner wall surface of the front end portion of the valve mechanism housing chamber 52 so as to surround the ink outlet hole 37. The valve body 53 is biased toward the seal member 55 by a spring 54 so as to close the ink outlet hole 37 via the seal member 55. When the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7, the spring 54 biases the valve body 53 in the mounting direction. When the valve body 53 biased by the spring 54 closes the ink outlet hole 37 via the seal member 55, ink is not led out from the ink outlet hole 37 of the ink cartridge 5.

  The air introduction part 33 has a valve mechanism accommodation chamber 62 for accommodating the valve mechanism 60. The valve mechanism housing chamber 62 can communicate with the outside of the ink cartridge 5 through an air introduction hole 36 formed through a wall defining the front end of the valve mechanism housing chamber 62 in the mounting direction. The valve mechanism storage chamber 62 communicates with the ink storage chamber 31, and the valve body 63, the spring 64, and the seal member 61 constituting the valve mechanism 60 are stored therein. The seal member 61 is annular and is disposed on the inner wall surface of the front end portion of the valve mechanism housing chamber 62 so as to surround the atmosphere introduction hole 36. The valve body 63 has a convex portion 63 a protruding forward, and is biased toward the seal member 61 by a spring 64 so as to close the atmosphere introduction hole 36 via the seal member 61. When the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7, the spring 64 biases the valve body 63 in the mounting direction. If the valve body 63 biased by the spring 64 blocks the atmosphere introduction hole 36 via the seal member 61, air is not introduced from the atmosphere introduction hole 36 of the ink cartridge 5.

  As will be described in detail later, when the ink cartridge 5 is disposed at the mounting position of the cartridge mounting portion 7 of the holder 10, a needle 70 described later is inserted into the ink outlet hole 37 and resists the biasing force of the spring 54. The body 53 is pressed in the attachment / detachment direction. Further, a rod 71 described later presses the convex portion 63a of the valve body 63 inserted through the atmosphere introduction hole 36 in the direction of attachment / detachment against the urging force of the spring 64. Then, the valve bodies 53 and 63 are separated from the seal members 55 and 61, and the ink in the ink storage chamber 31 can be led out to the cartridge mounting portion 7 through the ink lead-out hole 37, and the atmosphere is introduced into the ink storage chamber 31. Air can be introduced through the hole 36. In addition, the springs 54 and 64 of the valve mechanisms 50 and 60 in the present embodiment correspond to the first urging member in the present invention.

  Next, the holder 10 in which the ink cartridge 5 is mounted will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the holder 10 has four cartridge mounting portions 7 that are arranged in the scanning direction and on which the four ink cartridges 5 are mounted. Since the four cartridge mounting portions 7 have the same configuration, one of them will be described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cartridge mounting portion 7 of the holder 10 is disposed so as to face the front plate 81, the top plate 83 extending from the upper end of the front plate 81 in the attaching / detaching direction, and the top plate 83. And has a bottom plate 84 extending from the lower end of the front plate 81 in the detaching direction. A cartridge housing chamber 80 defined by a front plate 81, a top plate 83 and a bottom plate 84 is formed in the cartridge mounting portion 7. The cartridge mounting portion 7 has an opening facing the front plate 81, and the ink cartridge 5 is inserted into the cartridge storage chamber 80 along the mounting direction from the opening toward the front plate 81. The cartridge mounting portion 7 includes optical sensors 65 and 66, a needle 70, a rod 71, and a lock mechanism 90.

  The needle 70 is provided in the vicinity of the lower end of the front plate 81, extends in the attaching / detaching direction, and an ink outlet path 82 extending in the horizontal direction is formed therein. The ink outlet path 82 is connected to the inkjet head 3 via the tube 11 shown in FIG. The rod 71 is provided in the vicinity of the upper end of the front plate 81 and extends in the attaching / detaching direction. The optical sensor 66 is provided at a central portion in the vertical direction of the front plate 81, and has a light emitting portion 66a and a light receiving portion 66b that are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval with respect to the vertical direction in FIG. The optical sensor 65 is provided above the rod 71 of the front plate 81, and has a light emitting portion 65a and a light receiving portion 65b that are arranged to face each other with a predetermined interval in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, 8 (a), and 8 (b), the lock mechanism 90 is located near the rear end in the mounting direction of the top plate 83 (near the front end in the detaching direction). A lock lever 91 (lock member), a coiled spring 92 (second biasing member) that biases by pulling the lock lever 91, and relative rotation via the lock lever 91 and the shaft 95 are provided. A pop-out prevention member 94 connected to the shaft 95; and a torsion coil spring 96 (third biasing member) disposed around the shaft 95 and biasing the pop-out prevention member 94 with a biasing force smaller than that of the spring 92. ing. The lock mechanism 90 locks the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position of the cartridge mounting portion 7 so that the ink cartridge 5 stays at the mounting position against the urging force of the springs 54 and 64, and also operates the operation portion 94 a of the pop-out prevention member 94. Is pressed, the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position is unlocked and the ink cartridge 5 pushed out of the mounting position is prevented from popping out.

  The lock lever 91 is a rod-like member extending in one direction, and is rotatable about a shaft 93 provided on the top plate 83. The shaft 94 is located between the front end and the rear end in the mounting direction of the lock lever 91. One end of the spring 92 is connected to the rear side in the mounting direction with respect to the shaft 93 of the lock lever 91, and the other end is connected to the top plate 83 on the front side in the mounting direction with respect to one end connected to the lock lever 91. ing.

  The lock lever 91 is rotated relative to the front plate 81, the top plate 83, and the bottom plate 84 of the cartridge mounting portion 7 in the counterclockwise direction of FIG. A pop-out prevention member 94 at a retracted position, which will be described later, comes into contact with a stopper 83 a provided on the top plate 83, and remains in a predetermined position. The predetermined position is that the front end in the mounting direction of the lock lever 91 is engaged with the side surface 39a of the protrusion 39 of the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge housing chamber 80, and the biasing force of the springs 54 and 64 is applied. Therefore, the ink cartridge 5 can be locked so as to remain in the mounting position. Further, the lock lever 91 rotates in the clockwise direction of FIG. 4 about the shaft 93 when the operation portion 94a of the pop-out prevention member 94 is pressed downward, and the front end in the mounting direction of the lock lever 91 is the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge 5 can be moved to a release position where the ink cartridge 5 is not locked so as to remain in the mounting position. That is, the lock lever 91 can move between the locking position and the release position with respect to the front plate 81, the top plate 83, and the bottom plate 84 of the cartridge mounting portion 7. The lock lever 91 has a stopper 91a at the rear end in the mounting direction.

  The pop-out prevention member 94 is a separate member from the lock lever 91, one end of which is L-shaped connected to the lock lever 91, and the operation portion 94 a protrudes from the bent portion, and is provided on the lock lever 91. The shaft 95 can be turned around. The torsion coil spring 96 is disposed around the shaft 95, one end of which is connected to the stopper 91 a of the lock lever 91, and the other end is connected to the pop-out preventing member 94.

  The pop-out preventing member 94 is rotated relative to the lock lever 91 in the counterclockwise direction of FIG. 4 by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 96, and remains in the retracted position away from the stopper 91a of the lock lever 91. When the pop-out preventing member 94 is not operated from the outside, the lock lever 91 is in the locking position, the pop-out preventing member 94 is in the retracted position, and the pop-out preventing member 94 is in contact with the stopper 83a. Further, the pop-out prevention member 94 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 4 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 96 when the operation portion 94a is operated from the outside, and reaches the restrictable position in contact with the stopper 91a. Position is possible. That is, the pop-out preventing member 94 is movable between the restrictable position and the retracted position with respect to the lock lever 91.

  At least when the lock lever 91 is in the release position, the pop-out prevention member 94 overlaps with the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction in the restrictable position. In the retracted position, the ink cartridge 5 does not overlap with the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 when viewed from the mounting direction or the mounting / removal direction. In the present embodiment, the pop-out prevention member 94 is located at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction as long as it is in the restrictable position regardless of the position of the lock lever 71. It overlaps with the cartridge 5. In other words, even when the lock lever 91 is in the locking position, if the lock lever 91 is in the restrictable position, the pop-out prevention member 94 and the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction. Overlap. Further, when the lock lever 91 is in the locking position and the pop-out preventing member 94 is in the retracted position, it does not overlap with the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction.

  When the lock lever 91 is in the locking position and the pop-out prevention member 94 is in the retracted position, the urging force of the spring 92 that urges the lock lever 91 from the release position toward the locking position is the pop-out prevention member 94. Is greater than the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 96 biasing the position from the restrictable position to the retracted position. In other words, when the operation portion 94a of the pop-out prevention member 94 is pushed down, the lock-out lever 94 moves together with the pop-out prevention member 94 after the pop-out prevention member 94 moves from the retracted position to the controllable position, and the release position from the locking position. The urging force of the spring 92 and the urging force of the torsion coil spring 96 are adjusted so as to move to.

  Next, a series of actions when the ink cartridge 5 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 7 of the holder 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the user inserts the ink cartridge 5 into the cartridge housing chamber 80 from the opening of the cartridge mounting portion 7. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6A, since the operation portion 94a of the pop-out prevention member 94 is not pressed downward by the user, the pop-out prevention member 94 is located at the retracted position and the lock lever 91 is engaged. Located in the stop position. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 5 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 7, the lock mechanism 90 does not prevent the mounting. The ink cartridge 5 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 7 along the mounting direction while being supported by the bottom plate 84 of the cartridge mounting unit 7. With the mounting of the ink cartridge 5, the front end in the mounting direction of the lock lever 91 slides on the upper surface 30 a of the ink cartridge 5 and gets over the protrusion 39. At this time, the lock lever 91 rotates in the clockwise direction of FIG. 6A (upward from the locking position), but the pop-out prevention member 94 is retracted to the retracted position, which hinders mounting. There is no.

  When the ink cartridge 5 reaches the mounting position, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6B, the front end in the mounting direction of the lock lever 91 contacts the side surface 39a of the protrusion 39 of the ink cartridge 5, The ink cartridge 5 is locked by the lock lever 91. Also at this time, since the operation portion 94a of the pop-out preventing member 94 is not pressed downward by the user, the pop-out preventing member 94 is located at the retracted position, and the lock lever 91 is located at the locking position. Further, since the lock lever 91 is urged by the spring 92, the ink cartridge 5 can be more securely locked to the cartridge mounting portion 7.

  At the same time, the needle 70 contacts the valve body 53 of the ink outlet 32 and the rod 71 contacts the convex portion 63 a of the valve body 63 of the atmosphere introduction section 33. Then, the valve bodies 53 and 63 are pressed by the needle 70 and the rod 71, the springs 54 and 64 are contracted, the ink outlet path 82 of the cartridge mounting portion 7 and the valve mechanism housing chamber 52 communicate with each other, and the air introduction hole 36 is opened. Is done. As a result, air is introduced into the ink storage chamber 31 from the air introduction hole 36, and the ink in the ink storage chamber 31 is led out from the ink lead-out hole 37 to the ink lead-out path 82 of the cartridge mounting portion 7. .

  Further, a protrusion 38 extending from the cartridge body 30 is inserted between the light emitting part 65a and the light receiving part 65b of the optical sensor 65. Then, the light from the light emitting part 65a of the optical sensor 65 is blocked by the protrusion 38 and is not received by the light receiving part 65b. On the other hand, when the ink cartridge 5 is not attached to the cartridge attaching portion 7, the light from the light emitting portion 65a of the optical sensor 65 is received by the light receiving portion 65b. That is, the optical sensor 65 detects whether or not the ink cartridge 5 is mounted depending on whether or not the light receiving unit 65b receives light from the light emitting unit 65a.

  In addition, the detected portion 34 provided in the cartridge body 30 is inserted between the light emitting portion 66a and the light receiving portion 66b of the optical sensor 66. Here, when there is sufficient ink in the ink storage chamber 31, the light-shielding plate 40c accommodated in the detected part 34 is at the lower limit position that contacts the bottom surface of the detected part 34. At this time, the light emitting part The light from 66a is blocked by the light shielding plate 40c and is not received by the light receiving unit 66b. On the other hand, when the ink remaining amount in the ink storage chamber 31 is small, the light shielding plate 40c is at the upper limit position where it abuts on the ceiling surface of the detected portion 34. At this time, the light from the light emitting portion 66a is transmitted by the light shielding plate 40c. The light is received by the light receiving portion 66b without being blocked. In other words, the optical sensor 66 is a near-empty system in which the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage chamber 31 is small and the replacement timing of the ink cartridge 5 is approaching, depending on whether the light receiving unit 66b receives the light from the light emitting unit 66a. It is detected whether the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage chamber 31 is larger or smaller than a predetermined amount defined as a state.

  Next, a series of actions when the ink cartridge 5 mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 7 of the holder 10 is detached will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, it is assumed that the ink cartridge 5 in the near empty state is detached.

  First, the user presses the operation portion 94a of the pop-out prevention member 94 downward. While the user is pressing the operation portion 94 a of the pop-out prevention member 94 downward, the biasing force of the spring 92 is greater than the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 96 as shown in FIGS. 5 (b) and 7 (a). Therefore, the lock lever 91 remains in the locked position and moves until the pop-out prevention member 94 comes into contact with the stopper 91a of the lock lever 91, that is, the pop-out prevention member 94 moves to the restrictable position. At this time, the pop-out prevention member 94 overlaps with the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 when viewed from the mounting direction or the mounting / removing direction, so that the locking of the ink cartridge 5 is released and the ink cartridge is released. Whenever 5 moves in the attaching / detaching direction, the pop-out preventing member 94 can contact the moving ink cartridge 5 and can control the pop-out.

  When the operating portion 94a is further pressed downward, the pop-out prevention member 94 is in contact with the stopper 91a of the lock lever 91, as shown in FIGS. The lock lever 91 moves in conjunction with the member 94. Then, the front end in the mounting direction of the lock lever 91 that has been in contact with the side surface 39a of the protrusion 39 of the ink cartridge 5 moves upward. That is, the lock lever 91 moves to the release position, the lock of the ink cartridge 5 by the lock lever 91 is released, and the ink cartridge 5 moves in the attaching / detaching direction due to the urging force of the springs 54 and 64 extending. Then, the moving ink cartridge 5 comes into contact with the pop-out prevention member 94 and stops moving. Therefore, the ink cartridge 5 can be reliably prevented from jumping out of the cartridge mounting portion 7.

  When the lock lever 91 is in the locking position and the pop-out preventing member 94 is in the restrictable position, the pop-out preventing member 94 is not necessarily disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction. When the lock lever 91 is in the release position and the pop-out preventing member 94 is in the restrictable position, the pop-out preventing member 94 is viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction. It only needs to overlap with the ink cartridge 5 arranged at the mounting position in the mounting portion 7. In this case, when the locking of the ink cartridge 5 by the lock lever 91 is released, the pop-out prevention member 94 overlaps the ink cartridge 5 disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 7 when viewed from the mounting direction or the mounting / removal direction. Therefore, the ink cartridge 5 moving in the attaching / detaching direction comes into contact with the pop-out preventing member 94 and stops moving.

  When the user stops pressing the operation portion 94 a after the movement of the ink cartridge 5 stops, the pop-out prevention member 94 returns to the retracted position by the restoring force of the torsion spring 96. Thereby, the user can pull out the ink cartridge 5 without being disturbed by the pop-out prevention member 94.

  In this way, by one operation in which the operation portion 94a of the pop-out prevention member 94 is pressed, the lock lever 91 is also moved in conjunction with the pop-out prevention member 94 to release the lock of the ink cartridge 5 and the cartridge mounting portion 7 It is possible to reliably prevent jumping out of the projector.

  Further, since the pop-out preventing member 94 and the lock lever 91 are separate members, the pop-out preventing member 94 is formed integrally with the lock lever 91, and due to the elastic force of the connecting portion between the pop-out preventing member 94 and the lock lever 91. The distance between the retracted position of the pop-out prevention member 94 and the restrictable position can be increased as compared with the case where the retractable position is urged from the restrictable position. That is, when the pop-out prevention member 94 is formed integrally with the lock lever 91, if the distance between the retraction position of the pop-out prevention member 94 and the restrictable position is too large, the pop-out prevention member 94 is retreated many times. By moving between the position and the controllable position, the connecting portion between the pop-out prevention member 94 and the lock lever 91 may be fatigued and broken. Therefore, the distance between the retracted position of the pop-out preventing member 94 and the restrictable position must be reduced. However, in this case, the ink cartridge is mounted only when the pop-out preventing member 94 is positioned slightly closer to the restrictable position from the retracted position. May be a hindrance. In the present embodiment, since the distance between the retracted position of the pop-out prevention member 94 and the restrictable position can be increased, the pop-out preventive member 94 is securely retracted when the ink cartridge 5 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 7. In addition, when the ink cartridge 5 is detached from the cartridge mounting portion 7, the pop-out prevention member 94 can be more reliably positioned at the restrictable position.

  Further, by making the urging force of the spring 92 larger than the urging force of the torsion spring 96, when the operating portion 94a is pressed, the pop-out preventing member is moved before the lock lever 91 moves from the locking position to the releasing position. 94 can be moved from the retracted position to the restrictable position.

  Further, when the lock lever 91 is in the locking position, the pop-out prevention member 94 overlaps the ink cartridge disposed at the mounting position when viewed from the horizontal direction (see FIG. 5B). . Accordingly, it is possible to more reliably prevent the cartridge mounting portion 7 from popping out. For example, even when the contact portion of the lock lever 91 with the ink cartridge 5 is worn and the ink cartridge 5 pops out even though the lock lever 91 is in the locking position, the ink cartridge 5 is prevented from popping out. be able to.

  Next, modified examples in which various changes are made to the present embodiment will be described. However, components having the same configuration as in the present embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  In the present embodiment, the lock lever 91 and the pop-out prevention member 94 are formed as separate members, but may be formed integrally by injection molding or the like as shown in FIG. At this time, the urging means for urging the lock lever 91 from the release position toward the locking position is the spring 92 described above, and the urging force for urging the pop-out prevention member 94 from the restrictable position toward the retracted position. The means can be realized by the elastic force of the connecting portion between the pop-out prevention member 94 and the lock lever 91. This eliminates the need for an urging member such as a spring that urges the pop-out preventing member 94 from the restrictable position to the retracted position, thereby reducing the cost. At this time, by making the biasing force of the spring 92 larger than the elastic force of the connecting portion of the pop-out prevention member 94 with the lock lever 91, the lock lever 91 is released from the locking position when the operation portion 94a is pressed. Before moving to the position, the pop-out prevention member 94 can be moved from the retracted position to the restrictable position.

  In the present embodiment, the biasing member that biases the lock lever 91 from the release position toward the locking position is the spring 92. However, the biasing member is not limited to the spring 92 and may be any member. For example, a front portion in the mounting direction may be heavier than the rear portion than the shaft 93 of the lock lever 91, for example, by providing a weight at the front end in the mounting direction of the lock lever 91.

  Similarly to the torsion spring 96 that urges the pop-out prevention member 94 from the restrictable position toward the retracted position, a torsion spring is provided around the shaft 93 so that the lock lever 91 is attached from the release position toward the locking position. You may force. Further, the top plate 83 is provided with a coiled spring that presses the front portion of the lock lever 91 in the mounting direction downward from the shaft 93, and urges the lock lever 91 from the release position toward the locking position. Also good.

  In the present embodiment, the urging member that urges the pop-out preventing member 94 from the restrictable position toward the retracted position is the torsion spring 96. However, the urging member is not limited to the torsion spring 96 and may be any member. Also good. For example, the front part in the mounting direction may be heavier than the rear part than the shaft 95 of the popping prevention member 94, such as providing a weight at the front end in the mounting direction of the popping out prevention member 94.

  Similarly to the spring 92 that biases the lock lever 91 from the release position toward the locking position, the spring that biases the portion behind the shaft 95 in the mounting direction of the pop-out prevention member 94 upward. The pop-out preventing member 94 may be urged from the release position toward the locking position.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the shaft 93 that rotates the lock lever 91 and the shaft 95 that rotates the pop-out prevention member 94 are formed at different positions, but may be coaxial.

  Further, the stop pad 83a is not always necessary. In this case, the lock lever 91 may be in the locking position at the position where the spring 92 has pulled the lock lever 91.

  In this embodiment, the lock lever 91 and the pop-out prevention member 94 are connected via the shaft 95. However, the operation of the pop-out prevention member 94 can be performed by one operation of pressing the operation portion 94a of the pop-out prevention member 94. If the lock lever 91 can be moved along with the movement, the two may not be connected. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the lock mechanism 190 includes a lock lever 191 and a pop-out prevention member 194 that are not connected to each other. The lock lever 191 is urged by being pulled by a spring 192 from a release position incapable of contact with the protrusion 39 of the ink cartridge 5 disposed in the mounting position toward a lock position in which the lock lever 191 can be contacted. The pop-out prevention member 194 can turn around the shaft 195 provided on the top plate 83, whereas the pop-out prevention member 94 can turn about the shaft 95 provided on the lock lever 91. The other configuration is the same as that of the pop-out prevention member 94.

  In this configuration, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), when the operation portion 94a is pressed downward, the lock lever 191 remains in the locked position, and the pop-out prevention member 194 is not attached or removed. As a result, the ink cartridge 5 moves to a restrictable position that overlaps the ink cartridge 5 arranged at the mounting position. Thereafter, the lock lever 191 moves together with the pop-out preventing member 194, the lock of the ink cartridge 5 by the lock lever 191 is released, and the ink cartridge 5 moves in the attaching / detaching direction. Then, the moving ink cartridge 5 comes into contact with the pop-out prevention member 194 and stops moving. Therefore, the ink cartridge 5 can be reliably prevented from jumping out of the cartridge mounting portion 7.

  Further, the urging member that urges the ink cartridge 5 mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 7 in the detaching direction may be provided on the cartridge mounting portion 7 instead of the ink cartridge 5. For example, in the above embodiment, the spring 64 of the air introduction part 33 and the spring 54 of the ink lead-out part 32 provided in the ink cartridge 5 correspond to the urging member, but the spring is provided in the cartridge mounting part 7. The biasing member in the present invention may be used. This spring may be a spring that detects that the ink cartridge 5 has been mounted by being pressed by the ink cartridge 5, or, as shown in FIG. A spring 100 for facilitating removal of the ink cartridge 5 may be used.

In addition, if the pop-out prevention member 94 is movable between the restrictable position and the retracted position, the operation of operating the operation portion 94a of the pop-out prevention member 94 is not limited to the pressing operation, and is a pulling operation. Also good. The operation unit 94a may not be provided on the pop-out prevention member 94 as long as the pop-out prevention member 94 can be operated by pressing or pulling.

  The embodiment described above is an example in which the present invention is applied to an ink supply device that supplies ink to an inkjet head of an inkjet printer that forms an image or the like by ejecting ink onto the recording paper P. The present invention is not limited to such an ink supply device, and can be applied to a liquid supply device that supplies liquid to downstream devices used in various technical fields.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 5 Ink cartridge 7 Cartridge mounting part 54,64 Spring 84 Bottom plate 90 Lock mechanism 91 Lock lever 94 Pop-out prevention member

Claims (6)

A liquid cartridge for storing liquid;
A cartridge mounting portion on which the liquid cartridge is mounted along a predetermined mounting direction;
The liquid cartridge is disposed in the liquid cartridge or the cartridge mounting portion, and the liquid cartridge is disposed in the cartridge mounting portion at a mounting position where the liquid in the liquid cartridge can be supplied to the cartridge mounting portion. A first urging member for urging in a detaching direction opposite to the mounting direction;
A mechanism for contacting the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position and locking the liquid cartridge so as to remain at the mounting position against the force of the first biasing member biasing the liquid cartridge. A lock member movable between a stop position and a release position that does not lock the liquid cartridge disposed in the mounting position;
By being operated from the outside, the lock member can move between a restrictable position and a retracted position, and at least when the lock member is in the release position, the mounting direction or the detaching direction can be changed. As shown in the figure, it includes a pop-out preventing member that overlaps the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position at the restrictable position and does not overlap the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position at the retracted position.
When the pop-out prevention member is not operated from the outside, the pop-out prevention member is in the retracted position, and the lock member is in the locking position,
When the pop-out preventing member is operated from the outside, the lock member moves together with the pop-out preventing member after the pop-out preventing member moves from the retracted position to the restrictable position, and the release from the locking position. Go to position ,
The lock member and the pop-out prevention member are separate members,
Liquid supply apparatus characterized that you have further comprising a third biasing member for biasing said retracted position said pop-out preventing member from the restricting possible position.   The pop-out preventing member overlaps the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position in the restrictable position when viewed from the mounting direction or the detaching direction regardless of the position of the lock member. Item 2. The liquid supply device according to Item 1.   The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second urging member that urges the lock member from the release position toward the locking position. The pre-Symbol locking member comprises a second biasing member for biasing the locking position from the releasing position,
3. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein an urging force of the second urging member is larger than an urging force of the third urging member. A liquid cartridge for storing liquid;
A cartridge mounting portion on which the liquid cartridge is mounted along a predetermined mounting direction;
The liquid cartridge is disposed in the liquid cartridge or the cartridge mounting portion, and the liquid cartridge is disposed in the cartridge mounting portion at a mounting position where the liquid in the liquid cartridge can be supplied to the cartridge mounting portion. A first urging member for urging in a detaching direction opposite to the mounting direction;
A mechanism for contacting the liquid cartridge disposed at the mounting position and locking the liquid cartridge so as to remain at the mounting position against the force of the first biasing member biasing the liquid cartridge. A lock member movable between a stop position and a release position that does not lock the liquid cartridge disposed in the mounting position;
By being operated from the outside, the liquid can move between a restrictable position and a retracted position with respect to the lock member, and at least when the lock member is in the release position, A protrusion preventing member capable of restricting movement of the cartridge in the attachment / detachment direction and not restricting movement of the liquid cartridge in the attachment direction at the retracted position;
When the pop-out prevention member is not operated from the outside, the pop-out prevention member is in the retracted position, and the lock member is in the locking position,
When the pop-out preventing member is operated from the outside, the lock member moves together with the pop-out preventing member after the pop-out preventing member moves from the retracted position to the restrictable position, and the release from the locking position. Go to position ,
The lock member and the pop-out prevention member are separate members,
Liquid supply apparatus characterized that you have further comprising a third biasing member for biasing said retracted position said pop-out preventing member from the restricting possible position. The liquid supply device according to claim 5 , wherein the pop-out preventing member can restrict movement of the liquid cartridge in the attaching / detaching direction at the restrictable position regardless of a position of the lock member. .

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